Lorenzo Pellegrini: Roma's Versatile Playmaker

Every country has its approach to the game of football; the Dutch enthralled us with the total football system, a tactical system where an outfield player can take over the role of any outfield player in the team. It was a system credited to Ajax, the Netherlands national team implored this system in the 1970s under the leadership of Rinus Michels who had seen and enjoyed the proficiency following his stint in 1965 as Ajax manager. 

Jimmy Hogan was regarded as the architect of Total Football during his stint with the Austria Wunder and Hungary’s golden generation in the 1950s. The success of total football was primarily based on the adaptability of a player irrespective of the position. Ajax revived the ideology in 1965 under Rinus Michels and the timeline of this, fortunately, coincided with the emergence of Johan Cruyff. 

Consequently, this style of football had a huge imprint on its tactical identity of Cruyff. The tactical ideologies of Tiki-Taka and La Pausa were drawn from the Dutch Total Football brought in by Cruyff during his stint as a Barcelona player and as a coach. Like Total Football, Tiki-Taka is a system that places much importance on possession, short passing, and patience. La Pausa was the ability to dictate the pace of the match in anticipation to slow it down. 

At the time that this ideology was at the forefront of world football, it saw the emergence of players such as Xavi, Andres Iniesta, David Silva, Xabi Alonso, Santi Cazorla, and many other extraordinary players. Brazil, on the other hand, has always been quite different in its approach, it was not regimented and wasn’t as formulaic in its approach. It was similar to the lifestyle of an artist which is to express them by discarding all rules pertaining to their artistry.